It is understood that today when a leak occurs in a pipe carrying fluid under pressure, the attempt is made to shut down the system at the nearest valve. If this is a considerable distance away, or non existent, or the piping system must remain under pressure, then a so called jiffy clamp assembly is used, if it is possible to install it. A gasket is wrapped around the pipe, then surrounded by a metal cover, and both are secured with pipe clamps. If the leak is topped, this repair is still not considered as being too effective for any considerable length of operating time.
Such jiffy clamps are believed to be like those disclosed in U.S. patents such as: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,172,472; 4,606,377; 4,413,388; 3,848,638; 3,914,833; and 2,897,568.
In reference to other U.S. patents, where products are disclosed to be used in stopping high pressure leaks in fluid lines:
Mr. John Watson in his U.S. Pat. No. 2,199,552 in 1940 discloses his high pressure vented guide plug clamp used to place a seal over a hole-like leak or limited size crack. The fluid continues to leak through the sealing plug assembly until just the final section of pressing the plug, i.e. the seal into contact with the pipe in the area of the leak.
Mr. John Tipton in his U.S. Pat. No. 2,492,507 in 1949, illustrates and describes his high pressure pipe patch wherein he also controls the venting of fluids directing them to a distant place for discharge, until the sealing of the leaking pipe is completed, first relying on gaskets and then welding.
Mr. Herbert H. Ice in his U.S. Pat. No. 2,002,577 in 1935, illustrates and describes his hydraulic safety pipe line repair device to repair alive leaks by using first a flexible tubing to stop the leak and surrounding this tubing by using a metal cover welded in place.
Messrs. Risley and Hoke in their U.S. Pat. No. 2,843,155 in 1958 disclosed their pipe repair clamp used to repair leaks in a pipe carrying fluids under high pressure. It is an improvement over the jiffy type clamps in respect to the tightening and positioning of the sealing unit.
Messrs. Sochnlen and Alters in their U.S. Pat. No. 2,850,045 in 1958, disclosed their pipe leak sealing device to repair fluid lines under pressure by placing a patch over the leak and welding the patch in place.
Messrs. Saylor and Habegger in their U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,300 of 1983, illustrated and disclosed their pipe patching clamp used during the continuing opertion of a piping system carrying fluids under pressure to repair either a hole-like leak or a split-crack leak.
Other very specific enclosures and/or methods and apparatus used to stop leaks about pipe surfaces and/or about pipe fittings are disclosed in U.S. Patents such as:
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,133,351; 4,171,142; 4,576,401; 4,652,023; 4,111,234 and 3,944,260.
Mr. George Brown in his U.S. Pat. No. 4,508,129, in 1985 disclosed his pipe repair bypass system for conducting fluids around a leak area during the leak repair operations.
Mr. Vernie Farris in his U.S. Pat. No. 2,899,983 of 1959, illustrated and described his method and apparatus for repairing a fluid pressure line. He stops the leak, then shuts off the flow upstream of the leak, replaces a portion of the pipe, and then commences the flow again.
Mr. Charles Ray in his U.S. Pat. No. 3,626,576 of 1971, illustrated and described his method and apparatus for repairing lines such as gas mains and the like, while these mains remained in operation. He placed a sealed collar around the leak locale, and vented the leaking gas through a valve wherein the leaking gas could be shut off and turned on. Such on and off positions of the valve were undertaken as the balance of his apparatus was operated to repair the hole-like leak, drilling, tapping, and inserting a repair plug.
Although these prior inventors all accomplished very worthwhile repairs and replacements by using their methods and apparatus, there still remains a need for methods and apparatus to stop leaks of both hole-like and banana peel like configurations occurring in high pressure fluid systems quickly, at comparatively lower costs, safely, and essentially permanently, until a fluid system is shut down for other reasons, such as a general overhaul. Then at such a shutdown time, a new pipe is used, and the emergency repair apparatus is reclaimed for reuse in another future emergency time, when a high pressure leak occurs during a continuous needed operational time of a high pressure fluid system.